Amnesia
by Charbonne
Summary: updated Now that Eric has met the family, how will he react to them?
1. Chapter 1: Losing It All

First off, I would like to point out some things that will change in the history of the show. The biggest one will be that Osamu died in a plane crash and not in a car accident. Several other things will pop up from time to time, but as I haven't gotten to them yet, they will not be mentioned here.

**_Amnesia:_**

**_Losing it all_**

**_By Charbonne_**

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Digimon.

****

Ken Ichijouji gasped as his violet eyes swept over the screen he was reading. The page he had been reading seemed too true, but even then, there was no mistaking the image of the boy he was looking at. Osamu Ichijouji's picture was plastered to the page, looking quite cheerful despite the fact that he was having his picture taken. Osamu's violet eyes, nearly identical to his brother's, were alight with happiness, and the younger boy couldn't help but read the caption underneath the picture. 'Our little Genius.' Ken shook his head. It has to be a coincidence. There was no way that Sam could have survived the crash that took him away from his family. Besides, the boy was all the way in San Francisco. It could just be a boy that looked amazingly like his brother that lived in the same US state that Sam's plane crashed in.

Ken closed the window on his computer and recalled the conversation that he and his parents had after hearing about the plane crash. Sam had been going to America for an exchange student program and was going to be there for half the year. Ken remembered the day his brother left, Osamu telling him that there was nothing to worry about, that air travel was the safest mode of transportation. Then, a scant three days later, a phone call came in that changed his family. Osamu had been involved in a plane crash. The jetliner had run out of fuel, and would have made an emergency landing had it not been for the total lack of airports and clearing in the countryside. Engine trouble began, and the plane crashed into the forests. No one had survived. He remembered his parents telling him and him yelling at them that it wasn't true, that his oniichan was still alive, and that Sam was at his sponsor's house getting ready to call them. He had run from the room and didn't come back out until the funeral, which was held three days later. There had been no body found, and it was just a memorial service.

Now, four years later, Ken had been searching through the Internet when he found the teen's picture. The boy in the picture was gangly, and his indigo hair was long and pulled back into a ponytail, but there was no mistaking the striking resemblance to him and that of the brother Ken had lost. From what he had read, the American genius' name was Eric Prem, he was an orphan, and he seemed to suffer from retrograde amnesia. The site had his email address, but Ken was afraid that if he contacted the teen, the boy would think it was a sick joke and not respond. There was the slight chance that Osamu had survived and the boy was him, but Ken was unwilling to take the chance to find out. Besides, he had put his brother's memory to rest, so there was no reason to even think about digging up painful memories. 

Ken was about to log off his computer when he heard a beep that meant that he had received an email. Frowning, the blue-haired boy looked at who had sent the email when his jaw dropped in total amazement. His hand shaking, Ken opened the message and started to read:

_Hi! I guess this is kind of a bit weird, but I happened to be browsing the Internet when I found your picture. I would have just ignored it, but something about the way you looked must have triggered something in my brain, because I have the slightest suspicion that I know you. My foster parents agreed that maybe it would help if I contacted you, but I hope that sending this email wasn't a mistake, that talking to you would help my already missing memory. _

_I should start by introducing myself. I'm Eric Prem. I know it'll sound strange, but for some reason, I don't think that is what I used to go by. My parents think that it's strange for me to be able to speak fluently a foreign language, but it comes a lot easier to me than English. I am sixteen years old, and I live in __San Francisco__, __USA__. I guess that people consider me a genius, but when I read about you online, I found out that you are also one. I also read that you lost a brother four years ago, and that's about as far back as my memory goes. I can't tell you where I was born or whether or not Eric is my real name, because that's still a total mystery to me._

_I hope you reply, because I really want to know if maybe I found someone connected to my past. I enclosed a recent picture, in case that helps. I hope to hear from you soon!_

_Eric_

Ken shut the window quickly, feeling as though something heavy dropped into his stomach. There was no way that Eric had known he had read about him, was there? Ken wasn't too sure, but something told him that the boy wouldn't stop harassing him until he got a response. Ken shut his eyes and rubbed them. He wasn't about to go to sleep yet, it was only five o'clock in the afternoon, but he suddenly felt tired. Maybe it's all the studying I've been doing lately, he thought. I've got only three more weeks until finals, and then I'll worry about this Eric stuff later. He shut his computer down and decided to go downstairs to help with dinner.

**_***_**

On the other side of the world, a blue-haired boy logged off his own computer. He had been searching for a newspaper article to translate for his Cambodian language classes, but the article he found troubled him the most. Eric was just about to shake it off as a bad case of déja-vu, but something about the Japanese boy in the picture made him reconsider. Ken Ichijouji seemed too familiar to just ignore completely, and he just couldn't help but think of how that picture seemed inaccurate. For some strange reason, he could imagine Ken younger, standing outside on a terrace blowing bubbles with him. Eric had sent an email, hoping that maybe the Japanese teen would respond, and now he was wondering if maybe he made a mistake, that it was just a coincidence that made him think of the mental image. For one, he couldn't even remember ever being outside the United States, even though the town of Tamachi seemed familiar. For another reason, his parents could have been of Japanese descent. There was no way that the boy would know him.

He glanced at the alarm clock beside his bed. The glowing red numbers announced it was already two in the morning, but Eric hadn't been able to sleep that well. A nightmare had woken him up, one that involved a lot of screaming, loud noises, and pain. Lots of pain. He was also experiencing a migraine; probably resulting from the large head injury he received when he lost his memory. He adjusted the glasses that adorned his face and realized that he would have to take the medication that offered relief from the pain, but, as usual, he hesitated on taking them. He always found it harder to concentrate when he took his medicine, and avoided it as often as he could. The only times his headaches became unbearable were when he had the recurring nightmare. Hence the reason he would probably take them tonight.

He stood up from his computer and made his way down the hallway to the bathroom. His mom was asleep, but his dad hadn't come home from work yet. He was a surgical technician, which resulted in him always having to work the graveyard shift. Eric didn't mind, although it meant that after nine o'clock every night his father wasn't around. Both his parents were Cambodian, his father, David, being born and raised in California, while his mom Chhoeun was born in Cambodia and immigrated to America. His mother could only speak her native tongue, making it harder for him to understand sometimes, but since he was learning the language anyway, it helped a lot. When he first entered the class, the other teens thought he was just out to get an easy A, but later found out differently when he accidentally started spouting off in Japanese.

He took his medicine, and when he made it to his bed, he found himself tired. Maybe sleep wasn't as far off as he thought.

**_***_**

The first thing Eric was aware of the next morning was an incessant ringing in his ear. He reached over and found the alarm clock easily, pressing the snooze button. He snuggled down into his covers again, drifting back to sleep, when he found the covers being ripped off him. He moaned, reaching for the covers again, but found himself fully awake as his mother started speaking in rapid Cambodian. "…nani?" he mumbled, trying to understand what she was saying.

"She's telling you to get up. You're late for school." Eric bolted up suddenly, suddenly aware of who was speaking.

He moaned. His dad was standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. "Dad? Don't tell me mom woke you up, too?"

"No, I just got off work. Did you sleep well, Eric? You don't usually sleep in this late…" David stated, sounding worried.

"I had to work on something, and I didn't get to bed until late," the teen explained. He stood up; about ready to get dressed, until he found his mom reading the printout of the translated article. "Mom?"

"Who's Ichijouji Ken?" his mom asked.

He understood her, but turned to his dad to explain. "Actually, it's Ken Ichijouji. They put the last name before the first. I decided to do a translation of a Japanese article instead of English, so the paper has all three languages."

His dad frowned as he read the sheet. "It says that his brother died in a plane accident in Cali?"

"Yeah, why?" Eric scrunched up his face as he put on his glasses to read the article.

"Um, well…" David began. Eric suddenly wondered what the matter was.

"Nani?"

"Eric, you were found a couple of days after the accident. You were in a coma for two weeks, but the only language you could speak was Japanese when you woke up…" His dad was watching his reaction, but all Eric could think of was the dream, with the screaming and pain. He scrunched up his face as the migraine from that night returned. "You ok?"

Eric started to nod, but the pain intensified with the movement. He tottered unsteadily on his feet until he found the ground rushing up to meet him. He lost consciousness shortly afterward.

**_***_**

"Shimatta!" Ken swore as he bounded up the last few flights of stairs to his apartment. He had to talk to his teacher about his unusual behavior during class, and afterward, he was late to a meeting with the other digidestined after school. His backpack weighed him down with all of the homework he had to do that night, but the blue-haired teen ignored the weight as he ran. He was almost to the door when it opened up to reveal his mom escorting a police officer out. His eyebrows furrowed with anxiety as he stopped, almost colliding with the man. "What's going on?"

His mom looked like she had been crying, rivulets of tears coursing down her face. "Ken," she said quietly, "It's about your brother…"

Ken felt his blood run cold. "What about Sam?"

"He's not dead. Oh, god, he's not dead…" Toyoko Ichijouji suddenly grabbed her son into a bone breaking hug. He backed away, looking from his mom to the officer and back.

"I thought he was dead…" Ken muttered uncertainly, but suddenly an image of the American teen popped into his head. "No, it can't be him…"

"Can't be who?" the officer asked.

Ken turned to the older man and frowned. "His name now wouldn't happen to be Prem Eric, would it?" He watched as the officer nodded slowly.

"That's what it said on the report. A Cambodian couple adopted him, and when they realized that Eric's twelve-year-old description matched that of your Osamu, they decided to report it in and see if it was true. It was actually a Japanese article about you that made them realize it."

"Then it's true he's got amnesia?" Ken asked. He didn't want to make his mom worry, but he had to know.

The officer nodded slowly. "A severe case. He doesn't remember anything before the accident, I'm afraid." The officer watched Ken start to shake. "Are you alright, son?"

Ken started to nod, but ended up shaking his head. "Does dad know?" he asked.

"No, but I left my business card with your mom for when she tells him. I'm Detective Murata Kei. If you need to call me, my number's on the card. I have to go now. Sayonara." With that, the detective left.

Ken turned toward his mom, who was wringing her hands, and smiled sadly. His oniichan was coming home, but Ken doubted he remembered any of them. "Hey mom," he said quietly, "he didn't happen to have a recent photo, did he?"

Toyoko shook her head. "He said one was down at the station and that he would bring it by tomorrow."

"I have a picture, if you want to see it." Ken said slowly.

"Ken, dear, where'd you get a picture?" His mom looked at him curiously.

"Sam emailed me about four days ago."

"He did? Why didn't you tell me or your father?"

Ken shrugged. "I didn't realize it was him. He looked like him, and he said he recognized me from somewhere. I didn't make the conclusion that it was Sam because I thought he was dead."

Toyoko nodded. "Well, I guess we'll go see that picture now, right?" Ken nodded, and the two of them made their way into the apartment.

**_***_**

Eric fumed as he looked from the downcast gaze of his mom to the tired look of his father. "What do you mean, I'm the Ichijouji's son?" He was hoping he had just heard wrong, and that they were just pulling his leg. Just pulling his leg. There was no way that the boy he emailed in Tamachi could be his brother. It just didn't make sense. "Ha ha, nice joke. I mean, you guys have got to come up with something original." He tried smiling, but somehow his father wasn't reciprocating the smile. "Dad? Mom?"

"Look, had we realized that you already had a family, we would have contacted them. It wasn't until we got a description of Osamu Ichijouji that we realized that your description of when you were younger matched his." David watched his son throw up his hands in anger. "Look, I know you're frustrated…"

"Frustrated is not the word I'd choose for it, _dad_." The last word dripped with sarcasm. "How the heck am I supposed to react when you find out your family who you didn't know and they didn't look for you suddenly want you back? Why did you and mom do something like that?"

"Because we talked, and if it had been the other way around and we had lost a son and found out a boy matching his description was alive, we'd want to know that someone else out there would do the same." David reached out a hand and placed it on the boy's shoulder, but Eric shrugged it away. "Eric…"

"What's going to happen now? They live in a whole other country. Would that mean I have to go to Japan?" Eric could barely perceive the small nod of his father. "I don't believe this…" the bluenette muttered, throwing up his hands in anger. "I'm going to my room." With that, the teen stormed out of the room, ignoring his parents' pleas to talk to them.

He flopped down on his bed and tried to picture the family he might be going to. He gave up when all he could draw was a blank. How was he supposed to even think of going to this new family without even the slightest idea of what they might be like? He only knew about Ken, and that wasn't very descriptive. What if he had other siblings? He shook his head. No, that can't be right. The article only spoke of one sibling, and apparently he was him. What about other relatives? Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins? How did they act? Would they accept him for the way he acted now? Would any of them, for that matter?

Then Eric's thoughts turned dark. Why was he in the US, when the rest of his family was in Japan? He knew that Ken's brother - him now - had died in a plane crash. Why was he on a plane? Was he trying to get away from his family? On the other hand, was it something else, like there were relatives here in the state that wanted to see him and only him? Was he in protective custody to get away from them, like he was being beaten or something? He had seen lash marks on his back before, but he supposed that they had been there when he lost his memory. What if they had caused them? Eric's imagination kept on spinning off crazy ideas about his family, his parents always faceless, while Ken, the only one that had a face, watched with impassive eyes.

He had to stop thinking like this, he thought firmly. There was no way his family could be as bad as he thought they were. Besides, he would be finding out soon enough. He was going to live with them, and besides, he hoped that he was allowed to still see the Prems. Then he got an idea. He got up and started shuffling through his desk. He finally found a notebook with the words _My Memories_ on it. His psychiatrist had suggested that if he had ever remembered anything to write it down as well as any emotions or thoughts that came with the memory. Now he had a new use for the notebook.

He sat down at the desk, the notebook open before him. Questions started swarming in his head, making it hard to distinguish which he would write down. He ignored them and wrote down the first one that came to mind. _Who am I?_ It was a simple question, but entirely too broad. He was Eric Prem, but then again, he was also Osamu Ichijouji, two halves of the same coin. He knew nothing about his life before the accident, and therefore the name seemed alien. He knew he had a family, knew that his brother was also a genius, but that was as far as his thinking permitted. He crossed out the question and then wrote another one.

_What's my family like? _That too was hard to answer, but at least it was an answerable question. He was going to be living with his new family, so he would know firsthand what they were like. The only memory so far of his family had been the brief flash of Ken Ichijouji standing outside with him blowing bubbles. Even that memory could be faulty. They could have been in a lot of fights, and his brother could be glad that he died. He might even be disappointed that Eric had even survived. Eric realized that that couldn't be right. He hoped his family wasn't that way. Nevertheless, the thoughts continued to run through his mind until he clamped down on them. No, he thought resolutely, he wouldn't think of his family like that. They couldn't be as bad as he thought they were. There was just no way.

He finally resolved on one question, the one that had been bothering him ever since he had come out of the coma so many years ago. _What is my mind hiding from me?_ He never could find a way to figure out the question for himself, so he never thought about it for himself. It wasn't until he saw the picture of Ken Ichijouji that he started wondering what other memories like that were in his head, hidden until he could find something to trigger them. If he went to Japan to find the answers, would all of them come out of hiding? No one knew what it was like, or what he was going through. They had never had gaping holes in their memory from an incident that happened years ago. What if being around the family he never knew triggered memories that were too horrific to think about? What if he finally remembered what had made him lose his memory, and worse, left him in such a state that he was no longer able to function in normal society?

**_***_**

Two weeks later found Eric at the airport. His family had to get a passport for him, and as he sat there waiting for the plane to come in, he wondered anew of the situation he was getting himself into. His mother was sitting next to him, wringing her hands in a vain attempt to quell her anxiety. Eric managed a brief smile for her before returning to his thoughts. There was a lump in his throat as he found himself wondering about the plane ride. Why was the thought of boarding the plane frightening to him? He shook off his anxiety as an announcement finally stated that the plane to Japan was finally boarding. "Don't worry," he heard his mom saying quietly to him. "Your father will be catching the next plane to Japan. He just has to tie up a few loose ends at work." His mom was speaking slowly for his benefit, but his father wasn't the reason he was so anxious. The plane was.

His hands were trembling when he handed his ticket to the guy collecting them. "Seat twenty-three in coach," the man said lazily as he read the paper. "In the back to the left."

He nodded to the man before entering the airlock to the plane. Why was he being so nervous? He knew that air travel was safer than a car, so why did the thought of going into the plane terrify him. He barely heard the man saying her seat number to his mother, so he waited up to translate what he had said to his mom. He was trying to delay the inevitable, he realized, and after translating started to walk swiftly through the airlock to the plane. He could already feel a crushing sensation in his chest. He took several deep breaths before finding his seat. It was near the window. His heart sank. How was he going to ignore whatever he was afraid of if he could look out the window? He tried to ignore the stares he was getting as he quickly put his bag in the overhead compartment and sat down, managing to shut his window as he did so.

His mom gave him a questioning look as she sat down beside him. Eric ignored the look as he tried to concentrate on not hyperventilating. Breath in, breath out. He barely heard the stewardess telling everyone to buckle up. He did so. Breath in, breath out. There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of as long as he kept his mind off of it. Shutting his eyes, he tried to picture himself somewhere else. He couldn't block out, however, the sound of the engines starting. His eyes snapped open in shock and he jumped in his seat. 

People were definitely staring at the boy now, and Eric found himself sinking in the seat. The stewardess stared at him when she came by, then handed something to his mother. Eric looked at what she was holding. He frowned suddenly. Sleeping pills? He looked over at his mother, who started speaking in rapid Cambodian. "Uhh, mom?" Eric asked, not understanding a word she said.

His mother slowed down. "To help calm you down. Your father and I didn't even realize that you would be terrified of flying, but then again, we didn't even consider your family would want to see you after all this time."

Eric nodded, taking the packet of pills from her. "Thanks," he muttered quietly. Chhoeun patted him gently on the shoulder, then gave him the glass of water that the stewardess had also given her.

"Thankfully she spoke Cambodian, otherwise she wouldn't have understood me. I tried to get some tea, but they didn't have any." Eric popped the pills into his mouth, taking them as he listened to her. After a while, he started feeling drowsy. Noticing that he wasn't able to concentrate on what his mom was saying, he fell into a blissful sleep.

**_***_**

Ken was trying to help his father move stuff around in his room. His brother was going to be coming home tomorrow, and Ken was adjusting his room so that Osamu's stuff would fit. No, he thought. Not Osamu, Eric. His name was Eric now. He had to get used to the idea of calling his older brother that now, since he was obviously going to respond to that more readily than the other. Ken rubbed his eyes. Since when did his life get so complicated, he wondered? It was never this much trouble. Then again, that was before he became the Digimon Kaiser. 

Wormmon crawled in, carrying what seemed to be a box of books. Ken took the box from the digimon, placing it down on the desk. They were Osamu's favorite books, and, hopefully, could jog Eric's memory. They had been reorganizing the room to look almost like it did when he was still living there. The room felt strange and foreign to Ken now, almost like from an old memory. He still had several more recent things sitting around, but they were his pictures of his friends. His father had said that he could still keep those out. He didn't have to put them away. Even so, the room was just as Ken remembered it to be four years ago, minus things that they couldn't get due to the plane crash.

Ken lay back onto his bed while his dad said something about ordering out for dinner. Yoshida left the room, leaving Ken to his thoughts. Too much is changing lately, he thought. First he changed from being a jackass then he got friends. Okay, so maybe they weren't bad changes, but they were changes nonetheless. Of course, Miyako would never let him forget that he started dating her, either. He smiled a bit. Then the smile turned upside down as he thought about the latest change. His brother. How was he going to react when they got to know each other? 

He rolled over onto his side when Wormmon crawled up onto the bed. "Ken?" the green digimon asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," came the muffled reply. "Just peachy."

"This wouldn't be because of your brother, would it?" Wormmon asked, his blue eyes looking at the back of the boy's head.

Ken turned over, looking at Wormmon as he did so. "Wormmon, did you have any brothers or sisters?"

Wormmon clicked his mandibles. "You know digimon don't have any siblings."

"Ok, dumb question. Did you have anyone that you were close to when you were a baby digimon?"

"Veemon. Why?" 

Ken bit his lip. "When you separated, did it feel kind of weird when you guys met up again?" 

"A little." Wormmon's eyes widened as he realized what Ken meant by it. "You're afraid that it might be like that?"

"Maybe."

"Don't worry." Wormmon placed a comforting claw on the blue-haired boy's shoulder. "He'll remember sooner or later."

Ken smiled as he pulled the digimon into a hug. "Thanks, buddy."

Yoshida walked into the room, a smile on his face. "Hey Ken, I found an American restaurant. Wanna try something from there?"

Ken sat up, regarding his dad as he did so. "Um, dad, Osamu's not here yet."

**_***_**

_Eric knew he was dreaming. He just knew it. First of all, he was on the left side of the plane, not the right. Secondly, his clothes were different, like he had gone and swapped his clothing for something else. He was no longer wearing a white shirt, vest, and a pair of shorts, but rather a green shirt overtop a long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. Then there was the total lack of sound, which troubled him to no end._

_He turned to the side, expecting to see his mom there, but instead saw a woman and a young boy. Both had blue eyes and blonde hair. The boy was clutching a small plastic plane, and was chattering away happily to his mom. The boy turned toward him then, smiling that cherubic smile, and pointing to the plane, started saying something to Eric, but no words came out. Eric found himself talking back and suddenly looked up as a scream ripped through the plane._

_Fighting down a rising lump of panic, Eric looked out the window. The wing was there, but one of the engines attached was currently on fire. Eric sat there, mortified, as he watched the rest of the wing and the other engine meet a similar fate. He heard someone over the speaker system trying to assure everyone that they were going to make an emergency stop. _

_When the engines failed, however, there was no room to argue that they weren't going to survive. The plane was spiraling down to the ground, and Eric could finally see why they hadn't landed. There seemed to be an endless stretch of trees below. He hadn't realized that someone had opened the airlock until he felt glasses being snatched off his face by a strong gust of wind. Turning around, he watched as anything that wasn't bolted down was sucked out._

_It was almost like slow motion. The kid beside him was screaming. He turned toward him and caught sight of the plane flying out of his hands. The kid unbuckled his seatbelt and ran toward the plane, intent on catching it. Eric took a split second to look for his mom, finding that she had disappeared. Unbuckling himself, he lunged for the boy. Unfortunately, he was too late. Grabbing hold of the boy, all Eric could do was curl into a ball and hope the fall was swift and painless…_

Eric woke up drenched in sweat. They had switched planes in Honolulu and were now over open waters. The cabin was dark, and he could see his mom sleeping soundly beside him. He got up from his seat and went into the bathroom. Sometime earlier, the crushing fear had left, replaced with a soothing calm. Now it seemed to be back, and Eric was shaking so badly that he needed time to collect himself.

Looking into the mirror, Eric could already see the dark circles forming under his eyes, the lines of distraught etched onto his face. His face seemed to have a light sheen of sweat on it, and his eyes looked haunted, like something had scared him badly. He gave a short laugh. Like something had scared him badly? That wasn't true at all. He had just been scared shitless by a dream that he now realized was always blurry and never vivid. That he had witnessed it all scared him. Why had he dreamt it? Did it somehow connect him to his past? Shaking his head to clear the last vestiges of the dream, Eric walked back to his seat, but he still couldn't stop shaking.

**_To Be Continued…_**

****


	2. Note to all readers

Hey! 

Sorry it's taking so long for me to get up a new chapter, but I just got a new computer, and when I was switching files from my old comp to the new one, it got erased or misplaced somehow. Also, it's actually quite hard to get into the head of someone that has amnesia, so please bear with me as I try to rewrite the second chapter, and hopefully I can get it out soon.

~Charbonne 


	3. Chapter 2: Familiar, But Distant

Disclaimer: Still don't own Digimon.

**Amnesia:**

**Familiar, yet Distant**

**By Charbonne**

Ken cracked an eye open and groaned. Eric's plane just had to come in early in the morning, and he knew it just had to be the curse associated with himself and his brother. Osamu's life always took precedence in the household before he disappeared, and Ken wondered briefly about whether or not murdering the teen would let him get more sleep. 

Ten minutes later found him getting up from bed, grumbling good-naturedly at anything that came to mind. Homework, evil digimon, Eric, the way it always seemed to rain lately every time he had a soccer game, Eric, Daisuke and his antics, and Eric were among the first things he thought of. Besides, getting his mind off the fact that he was seeing his long-lost brother again was good, considering he had gone through every single possibility of how he could have survived the crash and tossing them out, finally settling on the fact that Osamu probably had a guardian angel watching him that day.

Ken had finally made his way to the bathroom, flicking on the lights and blinking away at the brightness. After his eyes had adjusted, he groped for the toothpaste in the cabinet as his other reached for the brush. He tried to ignore the mental image that came up when he looked at his reflection. He had long ago stopped comparing himself to his brother, but as he got ready for the day, he suddenly found himself comparing him and Osamu. 

_Blue hair, blue eyes, both of us are geniuses, and I remember the both of us being good at soccer, but he never liked it. Then again, if it hadn't have been for the Dark Spore, I wouldn't be a genius. He alone would be the intellect of the family, and I would just be average, although, sometimes it is better to be normal._ He spit the foam into the sink and rinsed out his mouth. Grabbing a comb, Ken started on his hair, blocking out the voice in his head. 

How many times, before the Dark Spore took over, had he wished Osamu was still alive? How many times had he wondered how life would be different if his brother hadn't gone for the exchange student program? Ken was still as far from those answers as before, and no amount of mulling over the possibilities could change what had happened. His brother was still alive, although Ken wished that Osamu still remembered him.

Placing the comb back down, he looked back into the mirror. The similarities were still there, although from the recent pictures, Ken knew that Eric now sported a scar on his temple. How he got it was anyone's guess, but the bluenette had his own guesses. One that definitely sprung up was that he had gotten it from the plane crash. Besides, Ken could ask when his brother came home, or when he was adjusted to the family again. It would just take time.

He left the bathroom and started getting dressed. It took a full five minutes, but that was because his room had been switched around. Smiling slightly, he left his room, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him today.

***

Eric seemed like a nervous wreck by the time that they touched down at Tokyo International. He had hated the trip overseas, and his heartbeat was finally starting to return to normal as they landed. Finally able to open up the window, he noticed that the airport seemed to be very large considering the fact that they were on an island. Trying to ignore his thoughts, he looked at the scenery beyond the tarmac. The city of Tokyo rose behind the airport, skyscrapers rising to reach for the early morning sky. One large building even had a large TV screen which was showing some sort of game show. He turned in his seat to see his mother staring open-mouthed at the scene before her. He wasn't surprised. San Francisco had its share of large buildings, but none such as the type in this large metropolis. 

Standing up, he helped Chhoeun get their bags from the overhead compartment, noticing that people were leaving the plane. He definitely overheard two Americans saying that they were going to buy a lot of anime and bring it back overseas with them. He sighed. There were more sights to see in Japan, especially since in three months the cherry blossoms were going to bloom again, and he really wanted to witness that. It had been four years since he had seen them bloom…

Shaking his head, Eric frowned. Where had that come from? He couldn't remember ever being in Japan, much less watching that. Helping his mother off the plane, he walked along the airlock into the airport and froze in his tracks.

Standing about ten feet from the mob of people waiting for loved ones were three people. One had a sign above his head that said Ichijouji in English. People behind him were starting to complain, but Eric ignored them. He could see from where he stood that the woman had brown, bushy hair while the man had darker hair than she did. But the one that caught his attention was the boy located off to the side, watching them with a guarded expression. Finally finding his legs again, he escorted his mother over to them, talking in slow Cambodian to tell her that the people he was leading her to were the Ichijoujis.

The boy definitely looked a lot like him, blue hair and eyes just like his, although he had definitely inherited his father's facial shape. He seemed to be tall, but something seemed odd about his eyes, like he had seen too much in his relatively short life. Shaking off his dejá-vu, he looked back to the two people that were watching him. He was caught unprepared when the woman threw her arms around him and sobbed. "Osamu, my baby!"

He stood there stunned, while he heard a sigh escape his mother. Chhoeun looked a bit lost, and the strange exchange that was going on before her probably made her feel uncomfortable. Eric stepped away from the crying woman and gestured. "Mom, these are the Ichijoujis." He spoke in Cambodian for her benefit. "This is my mot… Chhoeun. I'm Eric."

"Ohayoo gozaimasu." Evidently the younger boy decided to do the introductions. "I'm Ken, and this is my mom Toyoko and my dad Yoshida. Welcome to Japan."

"I'm just so glad that you're home. We thought you were dead when the news came about the plane crash." Toyoko sniffed as she spoke, her voice heavy with tears. 

Eric didn't know what to say to that. He looked at the people standing before them, confused beyond belief. Yoshida must have sensed this, because he started to grab their bags. "You guys must be tired. I mean, what with the jetlag and all." He looked at Chhoeun. "And don't worry about getting a hotel room. We set up our guestroom so that she and her husband can stay there."

Eric paused briefly before translating. Chhoeun nodded at the Ichijoujis and bowed before them. Toyoko finally composed herself and gave Eric a small smile. "Well, let's be off." The group of five made their way to the baggage carousel and picked up Eric and Chhoeun's luggage before leaving the airport.

                                                                                                             ***

Eric flopped down on the bed Ken had shown him. He was confused beyond belief. First of all, Toyoko had insisted on fixing them breakfast, and then made sure that Eric had seconds. She had also asked about his life, listening while Eric told her a bit about it. Not only that, she also asked questions of Chhoeun, asking about her family and what "Osamu" was like. Chhoeun answered all of the questions patiently, while Eric translated. He also found out how long they were going to be staying. Chhoeun stated that they were going to be staying a week at least, and Eric knew that when they left, he would be alone with the Ichijoujis after that. His father was going to be coming over tomorrow and spending the last week with his adopted son. Eric didn't really want the Prems to leave, because when they did that, it would mean that his last ties with them would be severed and he would be left with complete strangers.

He definitely wasn't tired, spending the majority of the trip over sleeping on the plane, so he took the time to look around the room. Some things looked familiar to him, although he couldn't place where he'd seen them before. A computer sat on a desk, its screen having a window up that looked odd. There were several pictures lying around, some of them depicting Ken and a group of friends, and others showing a young boy with glasses, squirming under the intense glare of the light bulb. There were books lying around, some of them familiar titles to him. He picked one up and flipped the cover open. Inside the cover there was a note someone must have written in it. _Osamu, I hope you enjoy the book. I know that you read this book a lot from the library, and I thought you might like a copy of your own. Keep up with your studies. Mrs. Tachigura._

Eric slammed the book shut, frowning. The name sounded familiar, but he just couldn't place a face. Looking around the room again, he noticed that this must have been Osamu's room while growing up. Everything looked familiar, except for the newer additions to the room. He placed the book back on the shelf and got up, going to the balcony. As he opened the door, a cold blast of air came through the door, making him shiver. He stood on the balcony, watching the traffic pass below. There was a park on the other side of the street, and even though it was early December, he felt like going there. 

He walked back into the room, shutting the door behind him as he did so. Taking his hair down from the ponytail he always had it in, he made his way into the bathroom, intent on brushing his hair before doing so. He then stopped in his tracks.

There was a green worm-like creature sitting on the sink, getting a glass of water. The creature turned as he saw him. "Oh, Ken, I thought we should go into the digital world and spend some time there…" The worm's eyes widened when he realized it wasn't Ken. "Either you've grown out your hair and gotten taller while you were out, or you're not Ken."

Eric was still staring at the creature. Ok, so now he was seeing talking green worms the size of housecats. It didn't in the least look familiar to him, and Eric found himself walking backward out of the room. "W-what the heck are you?" he squeaked, finally able to find his voice.

"I'll just go find Ken," the worm stated, looking worried. It then jumped down from the sink and crawled out of the room. Eric made sure it was gone before slamming the door shut. He didn't just see that, he reasoned. It must have been his imagination. There wasn't a green worm talking to him. He was still trying to convince himself of just that when he heard the door open behind him. Turning to look, he saw Ken standing in the doorway, looking sheepish.

"Sorry about that. Wormmon must have startled you. He didn't realize you were here yet."

"That thing has a name?" Eric asked, astonished.

"Well, sure. He's been in the house for a while now. He just hasn't met you yet, that's all." Ken reasoned.

Eric nodded, dumbfounded. It was odd that Ken was being so calm about the subject when Eric himself had almost been scared out of his mind by the creature. He grabbed a comb out of the bag he had brought into the bathroom earlier that morning and started combing out his hair. When he had finished, he tied it back up and left the bathroom to find Ken sitting in the chair beside the desk. He frowned as Ken's gaze settled over him.

"What are you up to?" Ken asked, trying to hide the fact he was curious and failing.

"I'm just going out for a walk. I'll be back."

"Do you realize that you could get lost really easily if you don't know your way around?" Ken's brow furrowed as he gazed at him. "No offense, but you do have a problem with your memory."

"I don't have a problem with my memory." Eric argued. "So I can't remember before I was twelve. It doesn't mean that I have a bad memory."

"Alright, but do you know this area?" Ken crossed his arms. "I seem to remember that you happen to come from America, not Tamachi, Japan."

"And do you think I can't remember the way back to this apartment?" Eric was starting to get angry.

"All I'm suggesting is that you bring somebody with you when you go out. It would be better than going out and not knowing your way around."

"No! I really need time to myself, and that means not being around anyone!" With that, Eric turned on his heel and left the room, leaving a confused Ken behind.

                                                                                                             ***

Eric had stormed out of the apartment, intent on getting to the park across the street. If he didn't know better, he was being kind of an ass, but that really was because he was away from anything truly familiar to him. All his friends were back in America, and not only that, the school year was different in Japan. He was going to miss the rest of the American school year and start up in January at the local high school. That would mean redoing the stuff he already did. He would have to take the entrance exams too, supposedly the most hellish of any exam ever. He actually heard of people committing suicide because of them. Hopefully he wouldn't go that route, because of some stupid exam. Besides, if he needed help studying for them, there was always asking somebody. He wouldn't ask Ken, though. He really didn't think of Ken as a bad guy, it was just that he didn't know him that well.

He didn't notice where he had sat down, but he found himself on a bench. There was a soft sigh to his left, and he turned to look to his left. There was a girl there, dark brown hair reaching just past her chin and falling over her face. When she looked up she blinked, her brown eyes wide. "Oh," she said, "I didn't realize someone was sitting here."

"Don't worry about it. It's really here for anyone," he stated, smirking a bit. When she didn't answer and continued to stare, Eric waved his hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. "Are you ok?"

She jumped a bit, startled, and then regained her composure. "Yeah, I'm fine." She frowned a bit, and then added, "I just realized you look a lot like a boy I knew."

Eric looked confused. "I guess that's a good reason." 

"Well, he was kind of my first boyfriend, but he's gone now, so it doesn't matter much." She smiled a bit. "I just thought that since you looked a lot like him that, you know, I kind of thought you were him for a minute."

"So what got you in the mood to walk in this cold?" Eric asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just thinking. I was actually considering going over to a friend's house to confirm a rumor I heard." She brushed it aside, and then gave him a look. "So, what brings you out here? You asked me, so I want to know."

"Actually, I got into an argument with someone I was staying with right now." He didn't want to add that the person he argued with could be his brother, that the reason he was even in Japan was to help him remember his past, or that he was living in Japan now.

"So you don't live here?"

"Nope, I live in the United States. I'm just here visiting."

"Oh." The girl sounded disappointed. She started to stand. "Well, I'd better get going. I'll see you around…"

"Ichijouji Osamu." The words tumbled out before Eric could stop them, and he saw the girl's expression change to one of horror. "I-I mean Prem Eric."

"Osamu? What do you mean Osamu?" The girl sounded accusatory. 

Eric almost cringed from the look in her eyes. "I meant Eric. I'm sorry."

"Uh huh, so how do you know that name?" The girl took a few steps back and crossed her arms.

"I don't know," Eric admitted. "It just came out."

"You know, that boy I told you about had that name, and his brother said something about Osamu still being alive." She gave him a hard look. "I hope that you're not lying."

The girl left, making Eric feel bad about what he had said. He didn't want to admit to being Osamu Ichijouji, and he certainly didn't want to be put into the position he was currently in. Eric just wanted to be back home with his friends, with the people he knew and cared about. He didn't like the fact that he was in a now foreign land, with no one but his mother there to tell him it was all right. Not only that, even though he loved his mother a lot, he had a hard time understanding what she said, and all he could really do was speak in conversational Cambodian. He wasn't as fluent as his father or mother in that respect. Frustrated beyond belief, Eric stood up, deciding to take that walk that he had told Ken he was going to do.

***

Ken sighed as he heard the doorbell. Ever since his brother yelled at him, he kept getting the impression that there was a lot more than what Eric was letting on. Mrs. Prem was currently asleep in the guest room, and his parents were out getting groceries, so that left Ken to answer the door. He walked up to it and opened it, but was surprised to find his brother's old friend, Ayame Baisotei  standing there. He frowned, confusion evident on his face as he asked, "Ayame, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to come over," the brown-haired girl replied. She fixed him with a hard stare that made Ken feel like he was being scrutinized. "So, how are you doing?"

"Fine, I guess. What's the matter?"

"I just met a boy in the park. I thought he was Osamu, but decided he wasn't." A worried frown marred Ayame's features. "I have the feeling I'm wrong, though."

Ken arched an eyebrow. "Did he say his name, by any chance?"

Ayame thought for a second. "I think he said Erin or Eric Prem, but don't quote me on that."

"Eric?" Ken couldn't believe his ears. "You're sure?"

"Yes, I am. He said he got into a fight with someone, and left the apartment he was staying at. He's from the Americas', so I guess Tamachi is new to him." She gave him a hard look, the same look she had given Osamu whenever he didn't tell her everything. "Why are you asking?"

"Because he's staying here." Ken watched her face pale. "He's here from California because we think he's Osamu, though we're not too sure. He's got amnesia."

"Then why'd he say he was leaving in a few weeks? Isn't he getting help for it?" Ayame crossed her arms, looking at Ken for the answer.

"Well, he is." Ken frowned, watching her. "I'll tell you what happened."

***

Toyoko looked worried. Ken had said that Eric had gone out earlier that morning, but now it was almost two in the afternoon. Chhoeun had woken up, but nobody had been able to ask her if she had seen Eric. Now the two mothers were worried, since Eric was missing now for six hours. Toyoko got up once more, going over to the window to look out of it. She sighed and sat back down as her look outside had been fruitless.

Ken brought in something for both women to drink, and sat down next to his father. Yoshida had a look of concentration on his face, as he read the newspaper, so Ken decided to try to talk to Chhoeun. "So, you haven't heard from Eric ever since this morning, right?"

Chhoeun nodded as she tried her best English. "Last saw him breakfast," she answered, speaking slowly and trying to hide her strong accent. "Boy need learn tell people when go out."

Ken frowned, and then changed the subject. "You know a bit of English, I see."

"Learn from David. He good teacher." A small smile played across her lips. "Eric good teacher, too. He learn Cambodian help out."

Toyoko had stopped looking worried and looked al Ken in wonder. "I didn't know you knew English, Ken dear."

"I learned at school. They decided that with my grades, it would be good to learn a foreign language." He didn't add the fact that he had fallen behind in his class. He still made good grades, but with his workload, he was having trouble getting all of his work done. Besides, his mom had enough things to worry about. He didn't want to compound on it.

They all jumped when the door opened up. Eric was standing there, hanging up his coat, and the scar that marred his temple stood out. He didn't seem to notice the four adults watching him, as he started making his way to his bedroom. In a flash, Chhoeun stood up, and started spouting off in Cambodian. Ken and his parents didn't know what she was saying, but evidently Eric did, as he spoke in the same language. The two went at it for a good five minutes before Eric turned and headed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. The three Ichijoujis jumped at the sound, and all three were now trying to avoid looking at Chhoeun. However, Ken had to wonder as to what had just transpired. The argument had made Ken a bit uneasy, since he had never seen his brother with such a look of anger on his face. It just made Ken wonder at how much Eric hated staying here. And from what Ayame had told him, the older boy wanted to go back to the US. If only there was a way to get him to talk, then maybe they could help him. But only if he talked.

**_To Be Continued…_**

Yep, the second part is finally done. Thank you to all my reviewers, and hopefully the next part doesn't take five or six months to get out. Till next time, sayonara.


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